1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lamp having two sockets for receiving matching bases of a tubular fluorescent light.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to mechanically secure the tubular fluorescent light of a lamp within the lamp body while supplying the fluorescent light with the needed electrical voltage, the ends of the lamp body have a respective socket for the two bases of the fluorescent light. There are two types of sockets for fluorescent lights. Firstly, a rotary socket is known but the securing action for the fluorescent light in such rotary sockets is disadvantageously not optimal. Secondly, there are plug-in sockets which have the advantage that they strongly clamp the base pins of the fluorescent light upon insertion of the light into the socket and thus prevent the fluorescent light from sliding out of the socket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp of a modular design and configuration.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that at least one of the two sockets is arranged in a housing that is separate from the actual lamp body and can be detachably arranged at the lamp body together with a tubular fluorescent light contacted therein.
This provides a modular plug-in system for lamps that use fluorescent lights. Of the above mentioned two possible conventional sockets, i.e., a rotary socket and a plug-in socket, the lamp according to the invention employs the latter. The basic idea of the inventive lamp is that first the two housings with the respective sockets arranged therein are placed onto the two bases of the fluorescent light, and the housings, together with the attached fluorescent light, are fastened subsequently to the actual lamp body, wherein, according to the invention, the housings are to be designed such that they are detachable in a technically simple manner in order to thus be able to exchange a defective fluorescent light without problems. It is important in this context that the housing with its socket is embodied as a separate part that is detachable from the actual lamp body. The housing for the sockets can be epipedal, especially a cube. Any other form or shape of the housing is, of course, also imaginable and usable. Since the bases of the fluorescent lights are in the form of plug-in bases, they are fixedly connected within the housing, and since, moreover, the housings are fixedly arranged at the actual lamp body, there is no risk that the fluorescent light could accidentally become detached from the plug-in sockets. This is true especially when the housings are directly connected to the actual lamp body.
According to a further embodiment, the base of the fluorescent light is completely received in the respective housing. This has the advantage that the two ends of the fluorescent light are secured extremely safely within the lamp body. Moreover, the bases of the fluorescent light are covered visually by the housing and can thus not be seen by an onlooker, which improves the visual appearance of the lamp. This can be technically solved in a simple manner in that the housing has a single opening for receiving the bases of the fluorescent lights while otherwise the housing is completely closed. When the housing is epipedal, especially a cube, that side of the housing which faces the base of the fluorescent light is removed.
In another preferred technical embodiment the housing is arranged by means of a releasable snap connection to the lamp body. Accordingly, a plug-in system is disclosed which functions as follows. First, the two housings are secured onto the two bases at the ends of the fluorescent light. Subsequently, the housings with their snap or locking elements are snapped into place in the matching snap or locking elements provided at the lamp body, and this completes mounting of the lamp. By releasing the snap elements, the housings and thus the fluorescent light can again be removed.
In a concrete technical realization of this releasable snap connection, the lamp body and the housing have a bore and a matching pin insertable into the bore wherein the pin can be secured in the bore. Preferably, pins are provided on the housings which, after placement of the two housings onto the bases at the ends of the fluorescent light, are inserted into bores of the lamp body so that they are correctly positioned. It is then only required to secure the pins in the bores of the lamp body. This can be achieved by a special locking arrangement. The pins and the bores can have a round cross-section. However, they can also be embodied with a cross-section that is not round, especially, an angular cross-section.
A further embodiment concerns so-called suspended lamps wherein the pin is embodied at the upper end of a rod which projects perpendicularly upwardly from the housing. In such a design, the fluorescent light is arranged at a spacing below the actual lamp body. In this case, the suspending rods at the same time also provide the attachment of the housings at the lamp body. When the rods have a tendency to swing, an additional securing device for the bases of the fluorescent lights can be provided within the housing.
According to a further embodiment, the electrical supply cable is xe2x80x9cinvisiblexe2x80x9d in that it is guided through the rod and/or the pin. A further advantage of this arrangement is that the housings are still secured to the lamp body by the electric cable even if the housings become detached from the lamp body.
In a further embodiment, the lamp body and the pin are provided with a locking arrangement comprised of a locking recess and a corresponding spring-loaded snap element. This has the advantage that a technically simple fixation of the pins in the correlated bores is possible. The spring-loaded snap elements engage the corresponding locking recess upon insertion of the pin into the bore so that the housing is securely held at the lamp body. The locking recess can be, for example, an annular groove provided on the pin. The spring-loaded snap element can be a pin.
The configuration of the releasable snap connection is preferably such that upon pulling the pin out of the bore, the snap element is automatically moved out of the locking recess by respectively provided guide surfaces. This has the advantage that the fluorescent light can be removed without requiring tools. It is only necessary to pull the two housings with the sockets in a downward direction. With correspondingly designed guide surfaces, the snap element is forced to the rear counter to the force of the spring loading the snap element. The guide surfaces can be convex or concave spherical surfaces.
The lamp body and the housing can have a releasable snap connection comprised of a locking pawl and a matching locking recess. This is an alternative to the pin/bore configuration of the releasable snap connection in which the pin is rigid. This alternative comprises thus a locking pawl which in itself is spring-elastic and which upon insertion into the matching recess snaps into a corresponding locking recess.
It is conventional to provide all light-guiding or glare-reducing elements, for example, louvers or diffusers, at the lamp body or at the housing of the base. According to the invention, such light-guiding elements can be fastened directly to the fluorescent light, for example, simply by being suspended therefrom.